Will 'Triumph' Bring Bulgaria an Oscar? Maria Bakalova’s Latest Film Is Ready to Take on Hollywood!

Actress Maria Bakalova proudly announced that the film Triumph, in which she plays the lead role, will represent Bulgaria in the race for the 2025 Oscars. This dark comedy, set to premiere on September 8 at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is directed by award-winning filmmakers Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov. Inspired by real events from the 1990s, the film follows a secret military mission involving high-ranking Bulgarian officers and psychics, who set out to find an alien artifact.

Bakalova, who not only stars in the film but also co-produces it, marks her return to Bulgarian cinema after her global success in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020), which earned her an Academy Award nomination. Triumph is part of Grozeva and Valchanov’s trilogy, following The Lesson (2014) and Glory (2016).